Pirate101 – Your Friendly Neighborhood Swashbuckler

04Oct

It was only a matter of time before KingsIsle Entertainment tried to capitalize on the success of their creation Wizard101, a safe but engaging MMORPG. Their new installment Pirate101 is an ambitious family-friendly venture that players will soon be able to get a head start on.

Fans who have specific membership types or that purchased the pre-launch game bundle will be able to get their taste of pirating starting October 8th, a week before the games planned digital release. Players lucky enough to participate in the beta will also be invited to the early adventures. By October 15th everyone will be able to access the vibrant fantasy world full of a new sailing culture along with some recognizable pirate mythology.

The goal for KingsIsle was to create a game that plays similar to Wizard101 while escaping the repetitive aspects usually seen across other pirate themed creations. According to producer Jay Gordon, what makes Pirate101 stand out is the, ?mix [of] the expected with the fantastic.? There are challenges though bringing these ideals to light when addressing age-specific content.

Many times developers create a game and only later put an age restriction based on the outcome. Emphasizing a family-friendly environment can impede the creative development of a title, which is what makes KingsIsle so accomplished with their games. Pirate101 actually has a layered chat system, providing young players with secure menu-only communication. There is also a list in place to prevent other players from using inappropriate language in those chat systems.

At the very least, Pirate101 is providing an environment that prevents that MMO town heckler from rudely mixing his comments into normal conversations. The game?s content is geared toward a young crowd, but is also meant to be entertaining individuals of any age who may be playing the game with them.

The most amazing aspect of the game lies within its replay value. The storyline in this game has many different outcomes based on the choices players make. This gives a player the ability to replay the game with different characters making different choices, and thus enjoying a different story. Players also have the ability to choose their companions which can drastically change the flow of battles, dialogue and overall storyline. There are endless ways to play this game.

Finally, it goes without saying that MMORPG?s nowadays require customization. Well, Pirate101 provides that too. Players will be able to customize a series of skills, armor, and as mentioned before, story arch. The coolest thing about a pirates though is their ships right? This game even allows heavy customization over the aesthetic and functional properties of their vessels. Work hard and you can even command an entire fleet! What else could you want from a free game?